Listen to the Rhythm of the War
by Nherizu
Summary: The song of war. The song of tears and struggles and hopes. Allen just wants to stop hearing them. He can't, though.


**Title:** Listen to the Rhythm of the War

 **Fandom:** D. Gray-man

 **Characters:** Allen, Kanda, Lavi, Lenalee (and other exorcists). Very subtle Yullen.

 **Disclaimer:** D. Gray-man is Hoshino Katsura's.

 **Summary:** The song of war. The song of tears and struggles and hopes. Allen just wants to stop hearing them. He can't, though.

 **A/N:** Another short piece I wrote for a challenge back then in 2014. The theme this time is 'song', and my brain kept telling me to write something dark. So here it is ... lol. Big thanks to **salmonellagogo** for betareading this story.

Please enjoy!

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 **Listen to the Rhythm of the War**

Explosions reverberated through the forest. From the corner of his eyes, Allen caught Kanda jump towards a level four. And just like him, Allen thrust his Innocence blade at the Akuma without hesitation.

Just like this, always, Allen heard their breaths come out in ragged wheezing, their hearts beat in disharmony as though they were saying— _fight or die_.

Still, Allen realized. The way their minds worked might be a complete opposite, the way they answered to those attacks might be different, but their bodies moved as though they were completing one another. And that, maybe, had made something grow inside: _No need to pull back. No need to protect the other_.

Allen wondered if that was what trust meant.

"Allen! Yu!"

As Allen's blade penetrated the Akuma and made it explode, Lavi's pale face forced him to swallow.

"Those bastards got our secret base!"

 **.**

 **.**

Their steps sounded heavier in every movement they made. It was the night of the crescent moon, but they did not— _they could_ _not_ — use any flashlights as they traversed the narrow path of the mountain, further and deeper to the heart of the forest. Scratches from branches or the pain as their bare feet stepped on sharp stones were nothing compared to the thing they had received from the battle just now.

Nothing.

Allen faintly heard Marie soothing Miranda as she struggled to restrain her sobs—her breathing hitched, and sometimes Krory's name came out of her lips.

Allen coughed into his fist, his other hand clutching at the front of his uniform. Not far from him, Lenalee was silent. Lavi tried to fix his bandages, and Bookman kept on murmuring in a foreign language besides him. Then, Allen's eyes stopped at Kanda. Dry blood colored his damp, black hair, his hands stayed limply at his sides. Something dark was slowly soaking the fabric of his black coat.

Kanda's life force was degenerating. It didn't escape Allen's eyes, and he bet, neither did it escape Lenalee's. Or Lavi's.

Allen coughed again, and threw his gaze forward after Kanda's eyes met his. He wiped away the warm—and he knew, it was red—liquid from his mouth.

When they swore to fight outside the Black order three months ago, they hadn't thought of this. Of course they knew that their number wouldn't be enough to defeat the Earl, moreover without the help of the Black Order's advanced technology. Still, they had each other. They fought together. They would somehow cause a miracle.

Right...?

Allen heard a funeral march—like that time when they buried Komui. But, of course, no one dared play any music in this forest. And yet, the things he saw, the things he smelled, they all reeked of funerals. And Allen wondered, if in the end, the reasons they fought were really to protect the world, to fulfill a promise, to pay for their sins—

—or simply because fighting was the only thing they knew. The only thing they were capable of—to show their emotions, to find salvation, to _live_. For they were merely stupid, idiotic humans who were manipulated by unknown, vigorous threads—which Allen refused to call as fate.

Because his life was chosen by him, and him _alone_ , wasn't it?

 **~Fin~**

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Sorry for the angst! I made this piece before I read the new chapters, but this was originally planned as alternate universe/canon divergence, anyway. So I hope you still enjoyed reading it even a little. :D

Oh yeah, guest reviews are also accepted. If you could drop me a review and let me know what you think of this short piece, I'd be really grateful. Thank you for reading! :D


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